Kat Geralis Home Team Wilmington DE Real Estate News Archives

The home search is only the beginning, it's also the most important aspect of your Wilmington real estate journey. It all starts with getting a feel for price ranges and what's available in your desired neighborhoods of Newark and Wilmington, then moving on to what you like and desire in a home and finally, touring those homes to find your best fit. With these home search tips, you'll be well on your way to finding a new home this summer. First-time homebuyer? No problem! We even offer FREE first-time buyer seminars to help!

Make a Homebuyer Wishlist
One of your first tasks as a homebuyer in the Wilmington and Newark area should be to sit down and make a wish list. Establish priorities for available homes— do you want a certain number of bedrooms, but would settle for less if the home had a finished basement? Things like this all add up in the bigger picture of the Wilmington real estate market. Credit.com suggests to "make a list of the ten most important criteria for a new home. Then divide your list items equally under two categories: "top priority" and "nice to have." After you've made this list, take it with you as you search for homes. Delaware homebuyers can oftentimes get distracted when house-hunting and it's helpful to refer back to the list.

Start Your Search, Two Places
Keeping your homebuyer wish list in mind, you can start searching for properties, narrowing down by price range. Homebuyers should start their home search online, but also in person as homebuying is an emotional process that requires buyers to experience a property for themselves. Once you've made a list of available homes that interest you, then go with your Realtor to view the property up close and personal. Refer back to your homebuyer wish list and take notes while you're inside the homes. You can then go back to see what you did and did not like about each property.

Consult Your Realtor
No matter what stage of the homebuying process you're in, it's always helpful to have a real estate agent on your side. Remember, they've done this before, numerous times. If you have questions, consider your Realtor your communication hub and sounding board— every question or concern can go through them. While you may have started your home search online, know that your real estate agent has an "in" per se, their finger on the pulse of the real estate market in your community. They're a great resource for finding Wilmington, Newark homes that may have just come on the market or will be going up for sale soon. And as always, "if you discover a listing you like, you can pass it along for your agent to evaluate," adds Credit.com. "It's important to develop this partnership!"

The KG Home Team is here to help at every stage of your homebuying journey in the Wilmington, DE area. Contact us today to get started and go over homes that may meet your wish list— summer is shaping up to be an exciting time in the market, so don't delay!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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It’s a buyer’s market, and the current climate of Wilmington Delaware real estate suggests that if you’ve been thinking about buying a home in the area, now is a hot time to do so. With home prices and interest rates at record lows, now is probably the ideal time to start your Wilmington home search. That way, you can take advantage of the current, low costs and find the home that really suits you best. It’s time to start house-hunting.

With all of that being said, buying a Wilmington, DE home is far from easy. Especially if it’s your first time around the block, you can get slammed with extra feeds, stressful transactions, and sticky negotiations if you don’t have the right professional looking out for your best interests.

As a Wilmington Delaware real estate agent, I make it my responsibility to help first-time homebuyers navigate the local market by both providing quality advice and making their transaction as smooth and seamless as possible.

When you first start your Wilmington home search, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a home and make some costly errors. Follow these eight quick tips, however, and you’ll be in your brand new Wilmington, DE home in no time!

1. Research the neighborhood. It’s an old, but true, mantra: Location, Location, Location! If you don’t take the time to research a neighborhood you’re interested in, you could be in for some serious buyer’s remorse after purchase. Remember, you might find the dream home, but if it’s in a neighborhood that doesn’t suit your needs, you’ll never be fully happy. Take the time to do some research, and you’ll be much more satisfied after signing the papers.

2. Look at several houses before you buy. We’ve all heard of love at first sight, but if you use that during your home search, you could be stuck with a home that needs costly repairs or that doesn’t really fit your needs. Take the time to look and you could find a home better than you even dreamed possible. Just keep an objective eye out on every property!

3. Get a professional inspection. Even if a property is pre-inspected, it can be hard to trust that a seller is disclosing everything wrong with the house, or that the repairs they did make were done thoroughly. Investing in a professional inspection can ease your mind and insure that you’ve covered all your bases, which will make move-in day much less stressful.

4. Go after what you need, not what you want. You might love that cozy, two-bedroom home with a lot of fancy upgrades, but if your family is growing, is it really what you need? Keep your future plans in mind when you’re buying a house. If you focus on what you need instead of what you want, chances are you’ll be more satisfied with the house down the line, and you’ll be in the property for a longer time. It will create a more worthwhile investment.

5. Buying a home at auction? Never overbid. Due to the high number of foreclosures sweeping the nation, many of you may be interested in buying a home at auction. This could be a great idea, but you have to be careful not to overbid. Do your research before attending the auction and stick to the price you know is right. Many auctioneers try and push the home way over market price during auction, so don’t get sucked into that game. Know your limit and stick to it.

6. Never buy a home based on décor. Sure, that house you looked at might have nice decorations, but how will it look with your furnishings in it? Take a step back and imagine your belongings in the house. If that changes your opinion of the property, then it’s probably not the best home for you.

7. Be careful when you read real estate ads. Ad copy is meant to make a house sound amazing and grand. Their phraseology is meant to “talk up” the property. “Cozy” is probably code for small. “As-is” means you might have a lot of work to do. Learn how to read between the lines, so you can avoid wasting time by going to see houses that you’ll want nothing to do with.

8. Don’t buy the most expensive home on the block. Sure, it’s great to keep up with the community you live in, but if you surpass them, you’ll never get the same return on investment. If you buy the priciest property, you’ll find that when you put it back on the market, you won’t get what you put into the home. Try and avoid this by finding a home that is within the average price range of your community.

Buying a home is complicated, but if you stick to these eight tips when you begin your Wilmington home search, you’ll find that your satisfaction after purchase will be high. As your Wilmington real estate expert, it’s my job to educate you on the best home buying tactics for amazing results. If you’re thinking about moving to the Wilmington, DE community, or would like to see some of the homes available on the Wilmington real estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d love to help you find your dream home.

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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If you’re looking to buy one of the many beautiful homes on the Wilmington, Delaware real estate market, now is the time to do so. Why? The main reason is that right now, home buyers in Wilmington have the opportunity to be in the driver’s seat. They have a little more leverage right now than those selling their homes, and that’s because right now, we are in what is commonly referred to as a buyer’s market.

For those of you who don’t know, a buyer’s market refers to a real estate climate where the supply of homes on the market is greater than the demand to buy them. At this time, the prices of homes all across the nation are low, so if you’re looking to buy a Wilmington home, you have an opportunity to have your pick of houses on the market, in a price range that otherwise might not have been affordable to you.

As a Wilmington real estate agent, it is part of my job to help home buyers in the area navigate their way through the Delaware real estate market. It’s also my responsibility to let home buyers know how they can best take advantage of the current buyer’s market to find the home of their dreams in the Wilmington, DE area. Here are just a few ways you should be using the buyer’s market to your advantage:

You can take your time. In this current real estate climate, Wilmington’s home buyers don’t have to jump to make an offer on the first property they like. Instead, they can feel free to take their time searching for the right home, asking the right questions, and even wait for the price to go down on a home they like.

Get foreclosure properties for bargain prices. Due to the nationwide spike in foreclosures, many homes sit vacant and are being offered for low prices. Many people in the Wilmington DE area who don’t feel that they can afford a regularly-priced single family home could still be a homeowner, if they were willing to purchase a foreclosure property! Several of these homes have a lot of potential, and some of the new REO regulations insist that homes be move-in ready before they’re sold to their new owners. It is a great option that more of Wilmington’s home buyers should take advantage of!

Don’t be afraid to ask for more time. If you need a few weeks’ breathing room to get yourself ready for the move or to make some last minute inspections, don’t be afraid to ask for it! In this buyer’s market, people are looking to sell their homes as quickly as possible, but they also want to make sure their property gets sold!! If you need some breathing room, this market presents the perfect conditions to ask for it.

You can ask for a written warranty. There’s a chance that some repairs will need to be made to the house after you purchase it, so use the buyer’s market in Wilmington, DE to ask for a written warranty. A year of coverage on appliances and structural repairs could be extremely valuable, and it will save you the stress of paying for repairs on a house you just bought. If a seller is motivated enough in this market, they may be willing to give you a warranty on the property.

These are just a few of the many reasons why Wilmington home buyers shouldn’t hesitate to start their property search now. The current real estate climate suggests that there are more homes on the market in Wilmington than people who want to buy them, so if you begin your home search now, you can probably find the best property at a low or fair price. As your Wilmington real estate expert, it is my job to help guide you through your property search, so if you have any questions, or want to see some gorgeous homes on the market in Wilmington, DE, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to answer any and all of your questions and to guide you through your home search.

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team

Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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Contact Me